UFC have announced their next three European events for 2015 which will see them host events in Poland, Germany and Scotland.
The announcement was made during a press conference in Stockholm, during the build up for UFC on Fox 14.
Two fights have already been announced for the Poland show, which takes place April 11 from Kraków Arena, including Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic; who returns after three years away to face Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga in the five round main event. Also, Poland’s Jan Blachowicz meets the UK’s “Poster boy” Jimi Manuwa at light-heavyweight.
David Allen, Senior Vice President and General Manager for UFC in EMEA spoke about the announcement of these three locations and why the UFC have big plans for Europe in the future: “Poland has been on our radar for a long time now,” Allen said. “This is a country that celebrates combat sports so we knew that holding an event here would excite the whole country. This event could rival last year’s Dublin event. We expect it to sell-out, without a doubt.
“We are wholly committed to the growth of mixed martial arts in these regions,” said Allen. “And we understand that in order to facilitate and drive this growth, we need to reach new markets and actively explore new territories.
“2015 is about bringing fans closer to the sport they follow so fervently and to the athletes that they support so passionately. This year, we will host events that will be remembered for years to come, and we intend to place cities like Kraków, Glasgow and Berlin firmly on the map when it comes to the sport of mixed martial arts.”
UFC lightweight Nick “Sergeant” Hein broke the news on the promotion’s return to Germany, which will take place at the O2 World in Berlin on June 20. This comes after the recent development that saw the UFC being able to broadcast in Germany after an initial ban put in place by the BLM.
“I was overwhelmed by the support of the German public last year,” said Hein. “The journey that the sport of MMA has taken in my home country is remarkable and the fan base just keeps on growing. To know that the UFC will be back in Berlin this year is just fantastic and I would love, more than anything, to have the opportunity to fight in my home country once again.”
The UFC’s debut in Scotland will take place at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow on July 18, as announced by Scottish women’s strawweight fighter, Joanne “BadMofo” Calderwood: “People at home have been asking the UFC to come to Scotland for so long now, so I just know this will be a sellout.
“It would be a dream come true for me to fight in Glasgow for the UFC. The opportunity to step inside the Octagon in front of a home crowd would be something I’d never forget.”
Fans can register their interest for the events via the below links:
Poland: www.Eventim.pl/UFC
Germany: www.o2world.de/UFC2015
Glasgow: http://www.thessehydro.com/ufc-registration-for-the-sse-hydro.aspx
